My Anchor
by MamaKatie
Summary: Weiss has suffered on her own for far too long. Ruby decides to put a stop to it. White Rose Week 2018 Day 3/4: Struggles/Snuggles


' _Scars that cover wounds can't hide the self-inflicted pain'_

Standing in front of the mirror in their shared room in Mistral, seeing the reflection of herself in her nightgown, scowl prominent on her face, Weiss found herself subconsciously rubbing against the fading marks across her arms, marks made so long ago but still holding so much meaning to her.

The pain in her chest whenever she saw those marks from her past, back when hopelessness and loneliness swallowed her daily, making her feel like she was barely treading water was still so prominent, especially in moments where she was brought back to those memories by force.

She cursed to herself silently. It was all in the past. Now, she understood what family truly was, to have someone outside of just Winter and Klein caring about who she was - not her name or her wealth, but _her._ She knew that; but the moment Atlus was mentioned, everything came flying back into her mind, and like a flip of a switch, it was like she back in that dark void, crying out for help with no escape in sight.

Turning her head as she heard the creak of her door open, she sighed in relief as Ruby walked in behind her, dressed in only her tank top and pants, a sight rarely seen since the Fall. She had her clothes messily handled in her hands, the only thing folded being her most prominent possession - her now-torn red cape.

"Oh, hey Weiss," Ruby smiled, throwing her clothes on her bed before walking up behind Weiss, gently wrapping her arms around her stomach, pulling her into a tight hug, before leaning over her shoulder to give the ex-heiress a quick kiss on the cheek. "How are you doing?"

Allowing the raven-haired girl to lead her into their shared bed, Weiss sighed. "I'm alright. Just...tired,"

Ruby's nose scrunched as she narrowed her eyes, frowning. "Are...you sure? I know you've been a little off ever since we mentioned Atlas and going back. I know you...had a difficult time, while you there, after everything, so I imagine this isn't easy."

Weiss sighed. She could tell her girlfriend was trying so hard. She had chosen to forgo any conversations about her time in Atlas, besides moments that she knew they could laugh at. She didn't need her team worrying about her - and due to that, she chose to pretend she still had a blood family, that she hadn't been emotionally and physically pushed at every turn by her demon of a father, and of course, that she hadn't been plagued by temptations of her past the entire year she had been held captive.

So, Ruby really had only a few ideas of what was really going on in her head. She planned to tell her, eventually, but she knew she already had so much to deal with already. It was a waste of time and energy to burden Ruby with anything more.

"It's fine, Ruby, really. I'll be fine."

Silence followed.

She could feel the anxieties tugging at her heart as Ruby laid in silence, merely wrapping herself around Weiss and spooning her, lightly rubbing her thumb across Weiss' own scars, making Weiss' heart tighten.

' _She knows.'_

"Have I ever told you I deal with nightmares?" Ruby finally said, her voice quiet and sad, as if she was saying something to be ashamed of.

"No...no, you haven't," Weiss whispered back, hesitantly turning her body so that the pair's forehead's were touching. "But it's not as if I wasn't aware. We sleep together Ruby."

"Heh, yeah that's true," Ruby chuckled softly, before sighing once more. "But...it's kind of happened...my whole life? Ever since mom died. I guess things had always been hard."

 _Summer._ The name echoed through Weiss' own mind. She would never forget the name of Summer Rose - the woman she would never be able to meet, but who held so much influence on the woman Ruby was slowly becoming.

"I used...to blame myself," Ruby continued, voice cracking as a tear began to run down her face, that Weiss quickly wiped away before letting her continue. "I dealt with so much pain and suffering and...it still hurts, you know? Every day. And after Pyrrha...and Penny...everything still hurts. I mean, we're still moving forward; it's what they would have wanted. All of them. But it doesn't change the fact that I wonder what would've happened if I was stronger … faster … anything."

"Ruby…" Weiss began, before being cut off with a quick kiss.

"It's alright," Ruby smiled sadly, "I don't say this for pity. I'm still fighting. My point is...you're not alone Weiss. I love you, more than anyone in the world, and trust me when I say I _understand."_

She finished, and after taking a deep breathe, Weiss began.

"I think...you already figured it out, but I used to self-harm. It's...not something I'm proud of, but it happened," she whispered, the nod from Ruby being the only confirmation she needed. Ruby always had been observant. "And things with my father were...not good. Ever. Especially when I returned home. I...I'm not the heiress anymore Ruby. I was disowned."

"Weiss…" Ruby whispered, the anger in her voice barely hidden, something that brought a surge of happiness through Weiss, if only for a moment. Ruby's over-protectiveness always helped her feel loved and wanted. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to bother you. I know you already have stuff going on, and besides, I was fine, at least for a while…" Weiss mumbled, face flushed in embarrassment.

Ruby chuckled. "It's okay...I'll always make time for you."

"But-"

"Have you heard of anchors?" Ruby suddenly said, gently rubbing her hand down Weiss' arms to intertwine their fingers.

"Like on ships? Of course, I'm a top student, Ruby, don't be stupid."

"Sorry," Ruby laughed. "Well, I mean like...for me, after mom died, I got _really_ into weapon maintenance and basically focused only on that. It's why I barely had any friends growing up, besides Yang of course. It was what held me back to reality, when things got really bad. I thought I'd have that forever."

"I'm not surprised," Weiss teased, rolling her eyes. "You've always been a geek,"

"Yeah, yeah," Ruby stuck her tongue out before continuing. "Well, when I came to Beacon, I found that I didn't _need_ weapons to help me ground myself. Sure, I had Blake and Yang but...most importantly, I met you. You helped me realize so much about myself, and helped me overcome so much...so I guess, you became my anchor. It's part of why I fell in love with you so fast Weiss."

"Ruby…" Weiss whispered, biting her lip to hold back the tears that came.

"So, I guess what I'm saying is...I can be yours too. You don't need to handle all this on your own. I can be your anchor, and you can be mine. We can get through this...together,"

"Ruby…" Weiss responded, not able to hold back any longer, pulling Ruby in close for a passionate kiss. "I love you...so very much."

Ruby grinned widely, nuzzling her head into Weiss' chest. "I love you too Weiss. So...together?"

She nodded. "Yes. Together."

And as the pair slowly fell asleep, Weiss smiled, knowing that even through all the hardship her and her team had endured, they would be able to face anything, as long as they stuck together, for time and all eternity.


End file.
